StateDeptcable1976-93004

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

Message Text

CONFIDENTIAL POSS DUPE

PAGE 01 BONN 02999 231716Z

64

ACTION EUR-08

INFO OCT-01 SS-14 ISO-OO NSC-05 NSCE-00 INR-05 CIAE-00

DODE-OO SP-02 PM-03 ACDA-05 SAJ-01 PRS-01 AF-04 10-03

/052W

091301

R 231646Z FEB 76
FM AMEMBASSY BONN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6653
INFO AMEMBASSY BERLIN
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY PARIS
USMISSION USBERLIN
USMISSION NATO BRUSSELS

CONFIDENTIAL BONN 02999

LIMDIS

E.O. 11652: GDS

TAGS: PFOR, GW, UR, WB, AO

SUBJECT: SOVIET AMBASSADOR'S VIEWS ON FRG

1 . CDU BUNDESTAG DEPUTY RICHARD VON WEIZSAECKER (PRO-
TECT) HAS TOLD AN EMBASSY OFFICER ABOUT A RECENT THREE-
HOUR CONVERSATION HE HAD WITH SOVIET AMBASSADOR FALIN
CONCERNING SOVIET-FRG RELATIONS AND ANGOLA.

2. VON WEIZSAECKER COMMENTED TO FALIN THAT AFRICAN
DIPLOMATS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT SOVIET INTERVEN-
TION IN ANGOLA, WHICH THEY FEARED WAS THE REINTRODUCTION
OF COLONIALISM ON THE CONTINENT. FALIN STONEW ALLED IN
HIS REPLYAND SAID THAT SUCH TALK WAS ANTI-SOVIET PROPA-
GANDA. THE SOVIETS WERE SIMPLY ASSISTING THE LIBERATION
FORCES UPON THE REQUEST OF THE AFRICANS THEMSELVES.

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3. FALIN REMARKED THAT WHEN HE ARRIVED IN THE FRG IN

1971 HE HAD MISTAKENLY BELIEVED THAT THE GERMANS WERE A

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

"LEGALISTIC PEOPLE." HOWEVER, SINCE THEN HE HAD LEARNED
TO HIS REGRET THAT THE WEST GERMANS VIEWED ANY TREATY AS
MERELY THE STEPPING STONE TO WHAT THEY WANTED NEXT. A
CASE IN POINT. ACCORDING TO THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR, WAS
THE QUADRAPARTITE AGREEMENT WHICH THE WEST GERMANS SET
OUT TO VIOLATE AS SOON AS IT WAS SIGNED. IN FACT, FALIN
SAID, THE WAY THE FRG PUSHED ITS THEORIES ON BERLIN WAS
ANYTHING BUT "LEGALISTIC."

4. ANOTHER SAD LESSON HE HAD LEARNED, FALIN SAID, WAS
THAT THERE WAS NO REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WEST
GERMAN POLITICAL PARTIES; THEY WERE ALL BASICALLY ANTI-
SOVIET. IN 1972 THE SOVIETS HAD BELIEVED THAT IT WAS
IMPORTANT THAT THE SPD WIN THE ELECTION, BUT THEY HAVE
BEEN DISAPPOINTED SINCE THEN. FALIN THEN LAUNCHED INTO
AN ATTACK ON CHANCELLOR SCHMIDT AND FOREIGN MINISTER
GENSCHER.

5. FALIN CITED A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES OF WHAT HE SAID WAS

A WELL ORGANIZED ANTI-SOVIET CAMPAIGN. TWO HE MENTIONED
WERE THE RECENT WEST GERMAN TV SHOW ABOUT KGB ACTIVITIES
IN THE FRG AND THE WEST GERMAN MEDIA'S COVERAGE OF THE
OLYMPICS; HE SPECIFIED THE COVERAGE ABOUT THE SOVIET
LONG DISTANCE SKIER WHO WAS DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE OF THE
MEDICATION SHE TOOK BEFORE THE RACE.

6. AT THE CONCLUSION OF FALIN’S TIRADE, VON WEIZSAECKER
REBUTTED HIM POINT-BY-POINT AND TOLD HIM THAT HE HOPED
THE CONVERSATION DID NOT REFLECT THE REPORTING ON POLITI-
CAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FRG WHICH THE SOVIET EMBASSY SENT
TO MOSCOW, BECAUSE IT DID NOT REPRESENT REALITY. FALIN
LAUGHED AND SAID HE WISHED VON WEIZSAECKER WERE RIGHT
BUT HE WAS AFRAID HE WAS NOT.

7. FALIN ALSO SPOKE AT GREAT LENGTH ABOUT HOW WESTERN
OBSERVERS FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THE ENORMOUS TASK OF
BUILDING A SOCIALIST SOCIETY. THE FOUNDERS OF THE USSR
HAD NOT FORESEEN THE LONG-TERM DIFFICULTIES IN BRINGING
ABOUT A SOCIALIST STATE. WESTERN OBSERVERS EITHER
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CONCENTRATED ON SOVIET INTERNAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS AGRI-
CULTURE, OR ON SOVIET FOREIGN POLICY. THE LONG-RANGE
GOAL OF CREATING A TRULY SOCIALIST SOCIETY WOULD BE
ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE THE OBSTACLES, THE AMBASSADOR SAID,
WITH SOME FEELING.

8. AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS COMMENTS ABOUT HIS MEETING
WITH FALIN, VON WEIZSAECKER TOLD EMBASSY OFFICER HE
BELIEVED THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR HAD STAKED TOO MUCH ON
WHAT AN SPD VICTORY IN 1972 WOULD MEAN FOR FRG-SOVIET

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

RELATIONS. SINCE THEN FAUN HAD BEEN TAKING A "HARD
LINE” IN ORDER TO REHABILITATE HIMSELF IN MOSCOW. THE
TIME HAD COME WHEN IT WOULD BE BEST FOR EVERYONE IF
FAUN WERE TO LEAVE, VON WEIZSAECKER CONCLUDED.

HILT F.NBR AND

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NNN

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

Message Attributes

Automatic Decaptioning: Z
Capture Date: 01 JAN 1994
Channel Indicators: n/a
Current Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Concepts: FOREIGN RELATIONS, DIPLOMATIC DISCUSSIONS, POLITICAL PARTIES

Control Number: n/a
Copy: SINGLE
Draft Date: 23 FEB 1976
Decaption Date: 28 MAY 2004
Decaption Note: 25 YEAR REVIEW
Disposition Action: RELEASED
Disposition Approved on Date:

Disposition Authority: GolinoFR
Disposition Case Number: n/a
Disposition Comment: 25 YEAR REVIEW
Disposition Date: 28 MAY 2004
Disposition Event:

Disposition History: n/a
Disposition Reason:

Disposition Remarks:

Document Number: 1976BONN02999

Document Source: CORE

Document Unique ID: 00

Drafter: n/a

Enclosure: n/a

Executive Order: GS

Errors: N/A

Film Number: D760067-1072
From: BONN

Handling Restrictions: n/a
Image Path:

ISecure: 1

Legacy Key: Iink1976/newtext/t19760224/aaaaavbl.tel

Line Count: 120

Locator: TEXT ON-LINE, ON MICROFILM
Office: ACTION EUR
Original Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Original Handling Restrictions: LIMDIS
Original Previous Classification: n/a
Original Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a
Page Count: 3

Previous Channel Indicators: n/a
Previous Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Previous Handling Restrictions: LIMDIS
Reference: n/a

Review Action: RELEASED, APPROVED
Review Authority: GolinoFR
Review Comment: n/a
Review Content Flags:

Review Date: 30 MAR 2004
Review Event:

Review Exemptions: n/a

Review History: RELEASED <30 MAR 2004 by ElyME>; APPROVED <31 MAR 2004 by GolinoFR>

Review Markings:

Margaret P. Grafeld
Declassified/Released
US Department of State
EO Systematic Review
04 MAY 2006

Review Media Identifier:

Review Referrals: n/a
Review Release Date: n/a
Review Release Event: n/a
Review Transfer Date:

Review Withdrawn Fields: n/a
Secure: OPEN
Status: NATIVE

Subject: SOVIET AMBASSADOR'S VIEWS ON FRG
TAGS: PFOR, GE, UR, WB, AO, SPD
To: STATE
Type: TE

Markings: Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006

Margaret P. Grafeld Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 04 MAY 2006